family tree

Last Wednesday in a moment of boredom, i logged onto the genes reunited site. I had been half-heartedly meaning to do this for aeons but felt defeated before even starting, thinking it would be a mammoth, impossible task. I had previously been to the registry place in London and also Bushey Museum and found some info there but didn't really know where to go next, and had more-or-less given up at that stage.

Imagine my surprize! I found some names which seemed to tie up with the dates I had and, alongside them, names of people who had them in their tree already. All I had to do was mail these people! So I did and they really were most helpful, mailing me back with info and then allowing me to look at their trees. One of them (the daughter of a third cousin never even dreamed of before!) has info on my grt-grandfather: where born, siblings, where lived, his ancestors etc; and all I had known previously was his name and date of death. So many 'gaps' are being filled - its like a jig-saw puzzle.

I am only hoping that I will be able to to return the favour and help fill some of their gaps.

I am now busily filling in our tree and can hardly wait to print it all out and show g!!

and speaking of 'worlds' . . .

g used to have an autograph book from his army days and one of the entries read:

the world is like a mirror
relecting what you do
and if your face is smiling
it smiles right back at you

someone ought to tell m!!

stupid expressions - ii

what is all this business with 'worlds'?
i've seen 'office world', 'pc world', 'world of fish' (!!) and the never-to-be-forgotten
'OLDE PINE WORLDE' which stella and i once spotted in ashton-under-lyne!
but on sunday in sheffield . . .
i saw . . .
'fireplace world' !!!
isn't that hell?

sausages and pies

saturday was 'annual parish camp reunion' in lees wood. we were lucky and had beautiful weather: warm and sunny. not too many people came but those who did thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it was good to chat and relax amongst the trees in the sun. about 10 of us remained for late afternoon sausages, burgers and beans on the barbie. home soon after 7 and an early night for an early start tomorrow.

sunday - seemed to spend almost all of it driving: to sheffield, then derby, then asbhy, back to derby, on to sheffield and then home - almost 500 miles all told. whilst stella, rich and clara were at motorpoint, i took kezia and jago to visit with janey and eric where they had lunch and then fed the fish. as we drove away, kezia said, 'thank you very much, avie. i had a good time' - what a polite child!!

was exhausted and almost falling asleep driving back down the m1 so decided to stop for a coffee at watford gap - place was heaving with football supporters from the west ham game - it always seems slightly ludicrous: and the mock footie kits are so hideous - and they never seem to fit!!! don't know why these people don't save their money for something that looks good on them!! and why don't they just stay at home and wait to hear the result after its happened? impatience i call it!!

stupid expressions - i

"mustn't grumble"
i should think not indeed!!
a full blown rant is much better - good for the body and the soul, a good rant is!!

robin hood, prince of thieves

i taped this the other night when it was on and have watched it over a couple of evenings

it's very funny - which i hadn't expected - so am glad i did tape it so i can look at it again

and of course it has the wonderful Alan Rickman playing the part of the evil sherriff of Nottingham - what a gem!!

also i couldn't help recalling the story of the bride who had asked for the 'theme tune from robin hood' for her walk down the aisle . . . . and instead of 'i will always love you', the organist played 'robin hood, robin hood, riding through the glen'!!!

hee hee!!

instructions

i don't know why it is, but my family are absolutely useless at reading instruction manuals - ie we just never do it - eric and i seem to find it a bit of a joke to press all the buttons of any new appliance and then be astounded when they don't work - though i must admit that since losing boogs and not having him on hand to put me right, i have been forced to read them sometimes - but only as a last resort you understand

but o just about takes the biscuit!!

fran, alex and i visited yesterday and during the course of the afternoon, o was demonstrating how wonderfully clean and shiny her microwave is - and of course, despite being 86 and having no help at all in the house, hers is the most immaculately clean house i have ever known (she's a bit conceited about it though!!!). but after we had all been dazzled by the silver coloured outer casing nd lectured on how it was still in pristine condition 'after sree years', she then told us how annoyed she was at having found a 'spot' on the top which she had wiped off and then discovered that the vinyl coating had started to peel away! this is the vinyl coating which one is supposed to peel off before ever using the machine!! i pointed out the large white notice on the top which states this fact twice (!) to which she replied that she never reads manuals or instructions because she doesn't 'need to'!!!

and then . . .

she told us how 'stupid' the microwave is because she could only cook food at 180 degrees C which is 'not very good' - she then showed me how she uses it and where the display for the temp is - it was lucky i was there really beacuse i was able to point out the 2 little buttons side by side just under the temp display one of which says '-C' and the other, '+C' - which magically alters the temp by 10 degrees a time!!

and she's only had the darned thing 3 years!!

barking!!

more holidays??

june should be a good month for being away!

yesterday i booked a room for the night of helen and geoff's luncheon party - yay!! - had intended to go to the local premmy/lodgy place but after kath telling me on thurs that i was a 'manic depressive' and that i would be 'a long time dead' (cheery soul!!) i decided i would 'blow out' and book a room in the hotel along with everyone else - hoorah!!! - ivy hill here i come!!

tante edith phoned this morn - mainly to wish me a happy easter i think, though she did ask me about the austria trip!! - she's a dear old biddy but i do so hope she doesn't try to muscle in - e j and i were hoping to keep it a fairly low-key holiday but once the relatives get wind it's always possible it will turn out like last time when they either:

frogmarched us around the countryside making sure we kept to our 'schedule' (!!)

or:

invited us to their houses, manoeuvred us into corners and then attempted to kill us with cake!!

killing us with kindess really!

. . . or even be a manic depressive . . .

which is what someone at work described me as today!!
which is, i feel, is a little excessive!!

sometimes one can feel a little down . . .

. . . for really no reason at all
it hasn't been a bad couple of days since last i wrote:
had pleasant evening yesterday at liz and davids's . . .
fran and alex came round tonight . . .
. . . but feeling somewhat browned off and can't put my finger on why?
never mind! - i expect normal service will be resumed shortly . . .

fast forward to april

it has been some while now since i last blogged - mainly because i haven't been at home very much over the last couple of weeks

sheffield - spent a wonderful few days with stella, rich and the pies - didn't do an awful lot really - mainly talking (no!!!) with s and r, playing with k and j and holding c. had hoped to be able to take the bigger pies out for a walk in the park or such-like but the weather was dreadful all the time i was there so mostly we stayed in though we did manage a trip on the tram into the city to visit the children's library (very good on the whole but access is down a longish flight of stairs - with small children and buggies/prams????!!!!!)

had enjoyable mothering sunday meal with all 5 pies plus o and g, janey ,eric and peter and fran and alex brought cat up too - some day i shall write about it and everything that went hilariously wrong but i don't have the time right now

ruda - great hols with the 'usual suspects' - again didn't do much - trip out with janey and eric to lynmouth, walk up the river to watersmeet then super meal in the rising sun - visited dottie en route to collecting lizzie from taunton station after her interview at oxford (she's had an offer!! - also i went to exeter station first as arranged but an accident on the line meant i had to re-route to taunton - hahaha - it was quite a palaver!!!). the rest of the time was spent walking to billy budds and baggy point, talking, reading, drinking, eating, walking on the beach, the annual barbecue and generally relaxing - oh yes! and we had a great game of rounders - 'oldies' versus 'the young ones' in which we olds well and truly thrashed them young'uns!!! (history will be learnt from those who write the histories!)

vowley farm - called in on lorraine on the way home and had a chat, a mug of tea and a tour of the farm. saw most of the animals: cows, pigs (gloucester old spots), horses and the poultry - obviously well cared for and they are using no chemicals for their meat production. still its a hard life i think for anyone who is not sufficiently dedicated despite the idyllic surroundings and i admire them for all their hard work

lasagne - when i arrived home i found a lasagne in the oven which fran had made for my dinner - it was really tasty - much better than mine - darn!!!!!